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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rash — hasty
  3. root — of a plant
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. drill — the tool
  9. root — of a word
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rock — a stone
  17. drill — army training
  18. root — the cause
  19. rash — a series
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rock — music
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com